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June 15, 2018

Army may launch summer trials for towed guns

The Army, which has been looking for an Advanced Towed Artillery Gun
System (ATAGS), is likely to take a decision soon on whether to conduct
summer trials on the ATAGS offered by the Kalyani group, sources close
to the development said Thursday.

The Pune-based Kalyani group,
whose flagship is Bharat Forge, had developed the ATAGS in association
with the Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE), which
is a part of the Defence Research & Development Organisation
(DRDO).

According to the sources, the Army had completed the “winter trials” on the ATAGS earlier this year.

“The
army prefers to conduct both winter and summer trials on new weapons
systems, to ensure that they function as per the army’s specifications.
The summer trials are likely to be held in Rajasthan,” the source said.

Apart from Bharat Forge, the DRDO also has a partnership with Tata Power (Strategic Engineering Division).

“The
tests have to be sought by the client, the Indian Army, or by the DRDO.
The Indian Army will place orders only after the ATAGS pass the trials.
The biggest challenge for the ATAGS is the stability and consistency of
the gun barrels and breeches, which require precision engineering and
the ability to fire consistently without melting or the barrel bending
out of shape because of the heat generated in the barrel,” the sources
said. More importantly, the sources, another area that was intensively
scrutinized by the army, through tests, was the recoil of the ATAGS.

Besides
the ATAGS, the Indian Army was also looking to buy another gun called
the Bharat 52, a 155mm, 52-calibre gun similar to the ATAGS. The army
had tested the Bharat 52 in Itarsi, Madhya Pradesh.

The Indian
Army has been scouting for an ATAGS because the last major supplier of
towed guns had been Bofors, back in 1986, when India purchased 410 guns
from the Swedish arms supplier. The purchase later turned controversial
with claims that Bofors had paid bribes to senior government figures to
win the contract. The Bofors contract cost former prime minister Rajiv
Gandhi a second term in 1989.

If the trials are successful, the
government is likely tin instruct the Indian Army to procure up to 40
ATAGS to begin with. The procurement of the ATAGS is expected to cost
the government well over Rs. 900 crore.

“ATAGS are a critical
component of the Indian Army, which has not procured any new towed guns
in over 32 years. I think the two Indian companies, Bharat Forge and the
Tata group company, will probably be the first recipients of the
contract for the purchase of ATAGS,” the sources said.